1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for assembling a door handle, and more particularly to a method of and an apparatus for assembling a door handle completely automatically from door handle components in a system for producing door handles to be installed on the outer surface of automotive door panels.
2. Description of Related Art
When getting into an automobile, a door of the automobile is opened by gripping a door handle installed on the outer surface of the panel of the door. One known door handle for use on an automobile door is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows the various components of a door handle assembly 2, and FIG. 2 illustrates the door handle assembly 2 as it is completed.
The door handle assembly 2 basically comprises a handle case 4 and a handle 6, and also includes various other accessory parts. The handle 6 is angularly movably coupled to the handle case 4 by means of hinge pins 8a, 8b. More specificaly, the handle 6 includes a hinge lever 10a connected to support arms 12a, 12b of the handle case 4 by the hinge pin 8a, and another hinge lever 10b connected to support arms 12c, 12d of the handle base 4 by the hinge pin 8b. Torsion coil springs 14a, 14b coact respectively between the support arm 12b and the hinge lever 10a and between the support arm 12c and the hinge lever 10b for normally holding the handle 6 against the handle case 4 when the handle 6 is assembled in the handle case 4. Stoppers 16 of rubber are mounted in the handle case 4 for preventing the handle 6 from directly hitting the handle case 4 to protect the handle case 4.
The handle case 4 has an integral protective member 18 projecting inwardly from the inner surface of a corner of the handle case 4. The protective member 18 serves to surround a lock in a door to protect the same when the door handle assembly 2 is installed on the door. A key guard assembly 20 is mounted in the protective member 18. The key guard assembly 20 comprises an annular gasket 22 and a gasket cap 24 by which the gasket 22 is fixed to the outer end of the protective member 18 and protected from damage. For attaching the key guard assembly 20, the gasket cap 24 and the gasket 22 are axially combined together into the key guard assembly 20, and then tongues 28a, 28b on the gasket cap 24 are inserted respectively into grooves 26a, 26b defined in the handle case 4 and bent over by staking into firm engagement with the handle case 4.
A case gasket 30 is interposed between the handle case 4 and a door panel 31 to provide a seal therebetween. The handle case 4 has a plurality of protrusions 32 on an outer peripheral flange thereof which are inserted into respective holes defined in the case gasket 30 and subsequently deformed by staking to hold the case gasket 30 in position. A bushing 34 is inserted in the hinge lever 10a and coupled to the mechanism of the lock in the door.
As described above, the door handle assembly 2 is comprised of the handle case 4, the handle 6, the hinge pins a, 8b, the coil springs 14a, 14b, and other small components. To assemble the door handle assembly 2, the small parts such as the key guard assembly 20, the stoppers 16, and the case gasket 30 are first installed on the handle case 4, and then the handle 6 and the handle case 4 are coupled to each other by the coil springs 14a, 14b and the hinge pins 8a, 8b.
The above assembling procedure is necessitated for the following reasons: For putting the key guard assembly into the handle case 4, three assembling steps are required: First, the gasket 22 and the gasket cap 24 are combined into the key guard assembly 20. Then, the tongues a, 28b on the gasket cap 24 are inserted respectively into the grooves 26a, 26b in the handle case 4. Finally, the tongues 28a, 28b are bent radially inwardly by a staking tool to fasten the key guard assembly 20 to the handle case 4. The key guard assembly 20 has to be inserted into the handle case 4 from its face side. To attach the case gasket 30 to the handle case 4, the handle case 4 is reversed or turned over and fixed to a suitable jig. Then, the case gasket 30 is mounted on the handle case 4 in engagement with the protrusions 32, which are thereafter deformed by a hand tool to fasten the case gasket 30 to the handle case 4. Since the handle case 4 must be kept in one position for installing one component, and then reversed into another position for installing another component, it is necessary that the small parts be attached to the handle case 4 at first and then the handle case 4 and the handle 6 be coupled to each other.
As described above, it is current practice to assemble the door handle assembly 2 only with manual labor, using jigs and tools suitable for use in respective assembling steps.
However, the manual assembling process is disadvantageous in that the assembling capability is limited and the efficiency depends on the skill of the worker who assembles the components. If the efficiency is to be increased according to the present manual method, the cost of skillful manual labor will also be increased, and so will the cost of manufacture as personal expenses have a large share in the overall cost these days. Therefore, there has been a strong demand in the art for a fully automated process for assembling door handles.